The UK gay Humanist charity, the Pink Triangle Trust (PTT) has expressed its dismay and outrage at the news that India’s highest court has upheld a colonial era law which criminalises gay sex.
The Supreme Court threw out a 2009 New Delhi High Court decision that ruled the law was unconstitutional and this change could see gay people jailed for up to ten years.
George Broadhead
The PTT’s Secretary George Broadhead said:“This ruling is a terrible setback for the struggle to secure equal rights for LGBT people, not just in India, but in many of the Commonwealth countries that still enforce colonial era draconian restrictions on the rights of LGBT people. It will inevitably provide encouragement to the many African states like Nigeria and Uganda which are viciously hostile to LGBT relationships and rights.
“As in these countries where religious organisations, including the Anglican Churches, strongly support anti-gay legislation, the ruling in India has been welcomed by religious groups, particularly leaders of India’s Christian, Hindu and Muslim communities, who had challenged the 2009 New Delhi High Court ruling which described Section 377 as discriminatory and said gay sex between consenting adults should not be treated as a crime.
The PTT fully endorse the statement made by G Ananthapadmanabhan of Amnesty International India,who said:“This decision is a body-blow to people’s rights to equality, privacy and dignity. It is hard not to feel let down by this judgement, which has taken India back several years in its commitment to protect basic rights.”
Zafaryab Jilani, a member of the All India Muslim Personal Law Board, added:“The Supreme Court has upheld the century-old traditions of India. The court is not suppressing any citizen, instead it is understanding the beliefs and values of the large majority of the country.
LGBT London will come together in the new year for the first-ever Winter Pride UK.
Set to take place on February 8, Winter Pride will bring together the biggest LGBT club brands and international DJs for a giant celebration. The focus is embracing equality, diversity and inclusivity, and the fostering of mutual respect between all demographic groups, irrespective of background, race, religion, gender and, of course, sexuality.
Winter Pride UK’s ‘inside pride’ at London’s Tobacco Dock has space for over 3,000 people throughout the night. Some of the iconic names involved so far include Popstarz, One Love, Work, MINT, Exilio, Bear Necessity, East Bloc – east London’s coolest late night gay club, Gaydio – the LGBT radio, g3 magazine, Out In The City magazine and Gaydar.
To make the atmosphere one of guilt-free fun, £1 from every ticket sale will go to the Terrence Higgins Trust and the proceeds of a raffle to Stonewall. The community vault spaces are also free to charitable organisations.
Kiera Ridge, Community Fundraising Manager at Terrence Higgins Trust, said:“We’re thrilled that Winter Pride have chosen our charity to benefit from their inaugural event. This kind of community event is vital, not only for raising funds but also creating a great opportunity for the LGBT community to come together and celebrate. We couldn’t be more grateful for their support.”
On the night, the Winter Pride UK Awards will also take place.Hosted by celebrity, Jodie Harsh and including a new Art Award, the awards will be targeted at both emerging and established artists with a cash prize of £1000 for the winner. Many famous faces appear across the awards, including Ian McKellen, Clare Balding, Gareth Thomas, Nicola Adams, Heather Peace, Angel Haze, Daniel Radcliffe and national treasure, Stephen Fry, who said, “I am thrilled to be nominated as LGBT Luminary of the Year for Winter Pride UK. Artistic and cultural events of this kind are so important for the well being of the LGBT community”.
Students and developer unveil pictures on site of former Stag Inn at 33 Upper Bedford Street
Students from Hamilton Lodge Deaf School & College have created a series of imaginative and colourful paintings depicting their ideal homes of the future for local property developer Godfrey Investments. The large pictures will hang on site in Upper Bedford Street during the construction of a three storey building with two commercial units and nine 1, 2 and 3 bedroom flats.
Godfrey Investments are keen to give something back to the local community. They approached Hamilton Lodge and after discussing what would work best for both parties the school and college were provided with free materials from Brighton Dulux to produce the pictures and a £1500 donation from Godfrey Investments towards a new fitness trail.
Hamilton Lodge Principal Graham Sheppard, said:“This is a great partnership between a local employer and a local school and college. Our students loved being able to produce such large colourful designs that will be displayed to the public whilst fulfilling the practical purpose of brightening up a building site. Thank you to Godfrey Investments for approaching us and supporting us in achieving this lovely outcome.”
Amanda Godfrey of Godfrey Investments, said: “We want to engage with the local community and we asked the children of Hamilton Lodge School to design their vision of “Homes for The Future”. We are excited and so proud to showcase their paintings on our hoarding where they will remain throughout the course of our build.”
Arriving in Providence, capital of the New England state of Rhode Island, you cannot help but notice the number of same sex couples.
Providence
Some say it is because of the three major academic institutions, including one Ivy League university, in the relatively small city. Others might argue that it is because of the state’s liberal views on LGBT rights. Which ever it is, this New England enclave offers gay couples a destination away from the well trodden path of nearby Provincetown or the big cities of New York and Boston.
Providence
‘The New York Times’ calls Rhode Island the most tolerant state in the US, and recently compared attitudes in Rhode Island to that of what they call the least gay tolerant state in the US, Mississippi, two opposite ends of the gay (and civil) rights spectrum. A couple of statistics from their research perhaps prove the point.
* For every openly gay male high school student on Facebook in Mississippi, there are 5.5 in Rhode Island.
* In Mississippi there are 50 percent more Google searches asking ‘is my husband gay?’ than there are in Rhode Island.
Perhaps only Americans would use Google searches as a basis for their academic research, but it confirms a trend of tolerance seen in the New England states since the founding fathers landed there.
Rhode Island is a small state of a million people, situated between New York and Boston. It is easy to drive straight through it, but you would be making a mistake not to hang out for a while. Providence offers a cluster of gay bars in its compact Victorian downtown area. Providence is like a mini-New York with similar architecture just on a smaller scale. Like much of America, its cultural highlight is a sprawling shopping centre. Just an hour from Boston though, it makes for an interesting stop-off whilst travelling around the region.
The Elms Mansion, Newport
Summer and fall sees millions flock to the quintessential New England town of Newport. This spectacularly beautiful resort is everything you want from the New England experience. Newport offers Rhode Island’s best eating, drinking and hotel destinations, and rightly lays claim to being one of America’s premier resorts. Christmas sees the town, and its string of historic Gatsby-style mansions, decked out in Christmas decorations, magically adding to the resort’s already beautiful historic backdrop. Spring sees the Atlantic Cup, one of America’s leading sailing races, with its activities on and off the water, Newport is best known for both offerings. Other Rhode Island towns follow a similar look and style to historic Newport. These include Bristol, Portsmouth and Warren, and all worth a few picture postcard photographs. Newport though is the best destination to spend time in, with a vast number of high quality independent eating, drinking, shopping and entertainment venues to keep travellers occupied all times of the year.
Boston Skyline
Boston itself disappoints only in one way, its gay bars. The city rivals any in the world in terms of what it otherwise offers, however the better gay bars can be found outside of the city centre. However, there is much on offer in the city including shopping in Newbury Street, eating at Quincy Market, historic Beacon Hill or in its role as a regional centre for the arts and theatre.
Boston Public Gardens
Boston is the best way to arrive and depart New England, just seven or so hours from London, making the flight an easy hop. What you get for your trouble is some of the best America has to offer. British Airwaysfly three times daily and Virgin twice daily from Heathrow Airport to Logan International Airport.
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